


Winds Of Plague

by MorganasCrow



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Plaguepunk, Canon Era, Disease, F/F, Miasma Theory, Plague, Remedy, epidemic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-27
Updated: 2016-03-27
Packaged: 2018-05-29 11:26:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,434
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6372877
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MorganasCrow/pseuds/MorganasCrow
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The kingdom of Camelot was stricken with plague. The young sorceress remains its last hope.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Winds Of Plague

**Author's Note:**

> Warning: People suffering from panthophobia, molysmophobia or maskephobia should avoid reading this tale.

"Growing wings of sorrow,  
Have brought you to the winds of plague."

\- Unearth (Endless)

 

Once upon a time the kingdom of Camelot was stricken with the epidemic of bubonic plague. The strike was sudden and quick and before a month passed, the empire was half depopulated. Doctors tried the traditional methods of burning herbs and inhaling latrine stench, for - as all men know - plague is caused by the rotten air and thus can be cured only by _more rotten stench of decay_. No one succeeded. The kingdom was slowly falling apart.

 

When the disease attacked king's daughter, lady Morgana, Uther drowned in grief and descended into madness. He proclaimed that who will come to cure lady Morgana and won't succeed will therefore pay with his throat.

 

Into this gloomy setting a new figure came. The tall, fragile lady entered the throne room. She was carrying a bag bigger than she was. She dropped to her knee: "Your majesty," proclaimed the blonde, bowing her head, "I swear I will do anything to bring lady Morgana back to her full health." Uther tore himself out of his dreariness for a while. "If thou succeed, we will give thee anything thou'lt wish, lady..." "Morgause," answered the healer, "though my name is not important. What matters is lady Morgana's health."

 

Morgause left for the chambers for the visitors. She placed her bag to the feet of the bed. "I will have to examine lady Morgana," she said. "Indeed," answered Uther gloomily. "Gaius, our court physician will certainly offer you a hand." "Indeed," answered the tall, white-headed man. Morgause nodded. "I will have to inspect lady Morgana first." "So be it," agreed Gaius. "Time works against us," stated Morgause. "Let's go immediatelly, shall we?"

 

Gaius, insisting on carrying Morgause's bag, led her to Morgana's chambers. In front of the door Morgause stopped and grabbed the bag. She took the iron beak-shaped mask. After a short inspection she took some aromatic herbs from her bag and stuffed them into the beak. "I am sorry, but I only do have one," said Morgause. "This wimple will must do," she said, handing it to Gaius.

 

They entered the chamber. Lady Morgana was beautiful, yet her beauty was stained with painful sores embracing her pale skin. Morgause bent down to her and examined her beauty dying in the embrace of the disease. When the dismal inspection was over, Morgause was breathing hard. "Have a proper rest, my lady. I will do my best to find the remedy."

 

When they left the chamber, Morgause was quivering. "I will make a potion to abate the pain, but I'm afraid we're coming too late. Lady Morgana is weak. It will be a miracle if she'll last longer than twelve days." Gaius caught Morgause's hand. "Do you realize the risk?" Morgause nodded. "Ay! I arrived here, knowing that if lady Morgana looses her life, I give mine," she agreed. "Now I need to gather some herbs if you will. And in case you'd like to share knowledge, the company of yours would be lovely."

 

On their way out of the city Gaius tiled Morgause into the history of the plague in Camelot. They were slowly walking through the dismal streets. Filth was covering the ground, giving basement for the deadly stench. Rats were swarming on the ground. Morgause rose her sight and counted the red crosses on the door. One, two, three... The Reaper spread the wings of plague and veiled Camelot with the gown of pestilence.

Coming back with the herbs Morgause whispered coyly: "I have to tell you a secret. My healing comes along with magic." Gaius nodded gloomily: "I hope thy enchantments are more powerful than mine." When they arrived back to Camelot, they headed straight into Morgause's chamber. "First of all we have to make the potion," stated Morgause, mixing some of the herbs with wine and placing the glass balloon onto the burner. _"Ábiern,"_ whispered Morgause and her spell incinerated the flame. Then she started to prepare the medicine - it was able to cure almost every illness if certain conditions were set. That's why it was called  _The Philosopher's Stone._ But lady Morgana's disease was rare, rapid and murderous. Morgause didn't expect The Philosopher's Stone to cure the illness - just to stop it from spreading.

Morgause held the alchemic medicine. Unfortunatelly it needed a week to maturate. Morgana could be dead by the day the potion will have been ready.

 

Morgause entered lady Morgana's chamber. She opened the window to blow the winds of plague away and lit up some aromatic sticks to murder the deadly pestilence stench. Then she carefully rose lady Morgana's head and spoonfed her with the potion. "Swallow, lady Morgana," she whispered. Lady Morgana's pale, cracked, dry lips embraced the spoon and she painfully swallowed. "I am sorry, my lady. I am sorry for the pain, but it's necessary." Lady Morgana swallowed obediently, sibilating with pain. When Morgana's head sagged down to the pillow, her eyelids began to flutter as she was drowning into sleep. "This will abate the pain, my lady. It will help you to rest."

Back in her lab Morgause wondered how to cure the disease. She drowned into her books and sought. She realized tears were sparkling in her eyes.

Every day Morgause came to lady Morgana, gave her painkiller and watched her wither away. Morgause wasn't sure why does she feel the urge to cry. She has almost allowed the tears to exit her eyes. But then suddenly the knocking on the doorframe resonated in the empty lab. Morgause jerked. Gaius was standing at the threshold: "Sorry," he said softly, "but lady Morgana told me she doesn't suffer from  _such_ pain after some drops recieved from thy hands." Morgause shared the formula to prepare The Philosopher's Stone to alleviate the agony of people. "It abates the pain, but cannot defeat the disease," warned Morgause.

As soon as Gaius left, Morgause drowned back into her books, seeking medicine to kill the pestilence and to surcease her sorrows.

* * *

Morgause entered the ominous atmosphere of lady Morgana's chamber, filled with stench of death. Fires were scorching the herbs to kill the smell. Morgause opened the window to clear the air.

Lady Morgana was laying in her bed, but when she saw the doctor entering, a painful smile embraced her lips. She tried to sit up to say some words. But with the movement Morgana's body started to shake with fits of cough and when she put her handkerchief away from her lips, it was stained with dark drops of black blood.The disease came to its terminal state.

Morgause gave Morgana the painkiller and left for her lab. Lady Morgana had ten days left. Maybe less.

* * *

Morgause slammed the book close and hurried into lady Morgana's chamber. She didn't even take her protective clothes. She dropped to her knees and slowly whispered: " _þǣr biþ se cwealmberendlice ædran forwyrhta swífende þurh éower ædran. Gé bist fnæstedestende hit syððan gé habban ancómde hércyme._ "

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Twelve days passed.

Morgause entered lady Morgana's chamber. Against all odds she was still alive. Her pain was gone and she also felt life being poured back into her veins. And every day she was growing fonder of Morgause.

While Morgause was taking care of Morgana, she taught Gaius her enchantment, so he could spread the remedy among the rest of the people. The kingdom of Camelot was slowly shaking off the disease.

* * *

It took two or three months before lady Morgana regained her full health. During this time Morgause spent her every free moment with the princess. They grew incredibly fond of each other. They were more than friends before the story ends.  One day Morgause carefully laid her lips on Morgana's.

* * *

The contagion was eradicated. Morgause entered the throne room and dropped to her knee in front of His Majesty Uther Pendragon. "Your highness," she said, watching Morgana with adoration.

"Lady Morgause," stated Uther, "thou doth cured our precious daughter and our beloved kingdom. And as we promised, thou canst now choose thy reward."

 "I did not come for the reward," replied Morgause. "And even if, the only reward which would satisfy my heart would be," Morgause looked straight into lady Morgana's eyes, one more time enchanted with her beauty, "your hand in marriage, my lady." A smile poured over Morgana's features as she placed her steps to Morgause, embraced her and planted a kiss on her lips. "I agree," whispered Morgana.

"So be it," agreed Uther.

 

"That girl put a spell on me  
Help me!"

\- The Jimi Hendrix Experience (Purple Haze)

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> The enchantments are educed from Old English.


End file.
